Living in Tōbetsu
In Tōbetsu, rents across existing tenancies average €4.74 per m² a month (2023).
At the end of 2020, unemployment in Tōbetsu reached 3.85%. Population density was 37.6 people per km² at the end of 2020.
Cheaper rent than 80% of Japanese cities that publish it and cleaner air than 90% of Japanese cities that publish it.
Which Japan-wide rules apply when you move to Tōbetsu?
National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.
Housing and cost
Japan's Housing and Land Survey monthly-rent measure excludes security deposits, key money/right money and common-area charges. The Ministry of Land says deposit terms vary by regional custom; these sources provide context, not a comparable city-level distribution. Statistics Bureau glossary (2018) · MLIT rental-housing Q&A.
How much does it cost to rent in Tōbetsu?
Average net cold rent is about 4.74 EUR/m² per month (2023 Housing and Land Survey), excluding heating and operating charges.
Published average over existing tenancies; a specific flat can sit either side of it. Asking-rent series, where present, are separate rows in the table.
- Average net rent (nettokalt): 4.74 EUR/m²/month · e-Stat Housing and Land Survey 2023, table 122-4-2: average rent per 1 m2 of floor area by municipality (家賃０円を含まない)2
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 31.61 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | ドコモ光 月額料金 — NTTドコモ8Official · national market |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 21.56 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | docomo mini 10GB1Official · national market |
| Average net rent (nettokalt) | 4.74 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €6.27 | 31 Dec 2023 | e-Stat Housing and Land Survey 2023, table 122-4-2: average rent per 1 m2 of floor area by municipality (家賃０円を含まない)2Official |
Is Tōbetsu a good place to live?
There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.
Worked out from these numbers
What does a 60 m² flat cost?
About 284 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of about 4.74 EUR/m² per month, before heating and operating charges.
Heating, water and operating charges come on top, and a specific flat can sit either side of an average.
Work and income
What is the unemployment rate in Tōbetsu?
The unemployment rate is about 3.8 % (October 2020).
- Unemployment rate: 3.85 % · 総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 就業状態等基本集計 第1-2表)11
Tōbetsu 3.9%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average gross earnings | 1,784 EUR/month | 30 Jun 2025 | MHLW / e-Stat — Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025, 47-prefecture scheduled earnings reference table4Official · regional context |
| Unemployment rate | 3.85 %country median 3.8% | 31 Dec 2020 | 総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 就業状態等基本集計 第1-2表)11Official |
What does a salary buy in Tōbetsu?
Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.
RentInternetMobileLeft over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
| Each month | € |
|---|---|
| Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08. | €1,412 |
| Rent, 60 m²€4.74/m² · official · e-Stat Housing and Land Survey 2023, table 122-4-2: average rent per 1 m2 of floor area by municipality (家賃０円を含まない) · 2023-12-31 | − €284 |
| Internet€32 · official · ドコモ光 月額料金 · 2026-09-30 | − €32 |
| Mobile plan€22 · official · docomo mini 10GB · 2026-09-30 | − €22 |
| Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities | — |
| Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish | €1,075 |
Public employment service
No exact public employment office is currently linked to Tōbetsu. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.
Hello Work — Public employment service
Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Tōbetsu. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.
Healthcare
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians per 1,000 residents | 0.72 per 1,000 | 31 Dec 2024 | Japan official municipality health statistics 20243Official |
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Tōbetsu when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.
Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.
Open the official coverage guideSafety
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 478.9 incidents per 100,000 | 31 Dec 2025 | 令和７年の犯罪情勢 / 令和７年の犯罪情勢 統計表, 図表1-5-29Official · regional context |
Mobility and administration
Tōbetsu's nearest major airport was 16 km away.
Language courses and integration
No exact city-level course record is currently published for Tōbetsu. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.
Japanese Language Education Program for Foreigners Living in Japan — State Language Course
Agency for Cultural Affairs
For foreigners living in Japan.
Climate and air quality
Is the air quality good in Tōbetsu?
The annual PM2.5 mean is about 6.5 µg/m³ (2023) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³.
Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.
- PM2.5 — annual mean: 6.52 µg/m³ · NIES monthly PM2.5 station means annualized to calendar 20235
Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³
City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.
Tōbetsu 6.5
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 6.52 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2023 | NIES monthly PM2.5 station means annualized to calendar 20235Official · nearest-station reading |
Population and city profile
How many people live in Tōbetsu?
The published population was 14,974 people in 2026. Source: Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey; 2026-01-01 municipal total7
By nationality
National passport98.2%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| City area | 422.9 km² | 3 Aug 2026 | 国土地理院 (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan)10Official |
| Foreign-resident share | 1.82 % | 3 Aug 2026 | 総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民 ÷ 総計)13Official |
| Foreign residents | 273 people | 3 Aug 2026 | 総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民)13Official |
| Population density | 37.6 people/km² | 31 Dec 2020 | 総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 第1-1表)12Official |
| Population | 14,974 people | 1 Jan 2026 | Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey; 2026-01-01 municipal total7Official |
Alternatives for people set on Tōbetsu
Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.
Minamiuonuma as a Tōbetsu alternative in the same country
Better on 3 of 4 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Rent cannot be compared like for like.
- Residents: 51,603 Minamiuonuma vs 14,974 Tōbetsu+245%
- Foreign residents: 3.0% Minamiuonuma vs 1.8% Tōbetsu+65%
- Rent: €5.34/m² Minamiuonuma vs €4.74/m² Tōbetsuno percentage
- Unemployment: 3.3% Minamiuonuma vs 3.8% Tōbetsu−13%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 463 Minamiuonuma vs 479 Tōbetsu−3%
Alternative cities in Japan
Other cities in Japan to compare with Tōbetsu, nearest in population first.
How does Tōbetsu compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Tōbetsu's.
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
How many people live in Tōbetsu?
The published population was 14,974 people in 2026. Source: Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey; 2026-01-01 municipal total.
How much does it cost to rent in Tōbetsu?
Average net cold rent is about 4.74 EUR/m² per month (2023 Housing and Land Survey), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 332 EUR a month before utilities. Source: e-Stat Housing and Land Survey 2023, table 122-4-2: average rent per 1 m2 of floor area by municipality (家賃０円を含まない).
Is the air quality good in Tōbetsu?
The annual PM2.5 mean is about 6.5 µg/m³ (2023) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: NIES monthly PM2.5 station means annualized to calendar 2023.
What is the unemployment rate in Tōbetsu?
The unemployment rate is about 3.8 % (October 2020). Source: 総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 就業状態等基本集計 第1-2表).
How many foreign residents live in Tōbetsu?
273 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: 総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民).
Is Tōbetsu a good place to live?
Tōbetsu may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.
Cite this page
Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.
APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Tōbetsu, Japan: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 977ddeebb3c7cac8b261b0f92b7c76bb]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/tobetsu/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_tobetsu-japan-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_4e73b0f0d9a7,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Tōbetsu, Japan: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-16},
version = {977ddeebb3c7cac8b261b0f92b7c76bb},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/tobetsu/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Tōbetsu, Japan: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/tobetsu/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 977ddeebb3c7cac8b261b0f92b7c76bb; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.
Sources
- docomo mini 10GB docomo.ne.jp · checked 2026-09-15
- e-Stat Housing and Land Survey 2023, table 122-4-2: average rent per 1 m2 of floor area by municipality (家賃０円を含まない) e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-09-18
- Japan official municipality health statistics 2024 mhlw.go.jp · checked 2026-08-13
- MHLW / e-Stat — Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025, 47-prefecture scheduled earnings reference table MHLW / e-Stat · e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-09-23
- NIES monthly PM2.5 station means annualized to calendar 2023 gis.nies.go.jp · checked 2026-09-23
- OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
- Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey; 2026-01-01 municipal total e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-08-10
- ドコモ光 月額料金 — NTTドコモ ドコモ光 月額料金 · docomo.ne.jp · checked 2026-09-19
- 令和７年の犯罪情勢 / 令和７年の犯罪情勢 統計表, 図表1-5-2 npa.go.jp · checked 2026-09-23
- 国土地理院 (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan) gsi.go.jp · checked 2026-08-03
Show 3 more sources
- 総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 就業状態等基本集計 第1-2表) e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-08-03
- 総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 第1-1表) e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-08-03
- 総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民) soumu.go.jp · checked 2026-08-03
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